Myanmar Men Sentenced To Death Say They Were Tortured To Plead Guilty To Murder And Rape

opposingviews.com Two migrants from Myanmar are facing the death penalty in Thailand after being found guilty of murder, rape and conspiring to hide the crime. The bodies of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were discovered on a beach on Thailand's Koh Tao island on Sept. 15, 2014, the Daily Mail reported. Migrants from Myanmar, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, were arrested weeks later. The yearlong investigation of the murders was filled with controversy. There were several disputes over DNA analysis, and some claimed Thai police mishandled the investigation after coming under pressure to make an arrest. In court, Lin and Phyo said they were tortured to confess that the allegations against them were true. They claimed they had plastic bags placed over their heads so they couldn’t breathe, were beaten and were threatened to be killed and have their bodies dumped in the ocean, according to reports. Human rights groups and representatives of the Myanmar government insisted that the men were telling the truth. Still, they were found guilty of raping Witheridge, beating her to death and killing Miller, leaving him to drown at sea.